Electric device comprising phase change material

Abstract

The electric device (1, 100) has a body (2, 101) with a resistor (7, 250) comprising a phase change material being changeable between a first phase and a second phase. The resistor (7, 250) has an electric resistance which depends on whether the phase change material is in the first phase or the second phase. The resistor (7, 250) is able to conduct a current for enabling a transition from the first phase to the second phase. The phase change material is a fast growth material which may be a composition of formula Sb1−cMc with c satisfying 0.05≰c≰0.61, and M being one or more elements selected from the group of Ge, In, Ag, Ga, Te, Zn and Sn, or a composition of formula SbaTebX100−(a+b) with a, b and 100−(a+b) denoting atomic percentages satisfying 1≰a/b≰8 and 4≰100−(a+b)≰22, and X being one or more elements selected from Ge, In, Ag, Ga and Zn.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electric device with a body having a resistor comprising a phase change material being changeable between a first phase and a second phase via crystallization initiating at an interface between crystalline and amorphous materials, the resistor having an electric resistance which depends on whether the phase change material is in the first phase or the second phase, the resistor being able to conduct a current for enabling a transition from the first phase to the second phase, the phase change material being a fast growth material, wherein the phase change material is a composition of formula Sb 1−c ,M c , with c satisfying 0.05≦c≦0.61, and M being one or more elements selected from the group of Ge, In, Ag, Ga, Te, Zn and Sn, wherein the phase change material comprises In or Sn in concentrations which range in total between 5 and 30 atomic percent.